Suburbia
by GymClassVictim
Summary: Follow the human lives of Edward, Emmett, and Jasper as high school students and best friends. Edward falls for the new girl, Bella Swan, as tragedy strikes Emmett's family and Jasper wins the heart of Alice, who has a few problems of her own.
1. Chapter 1

**(Edward's POV)**

"Dude, we haven't done this in so long." Emmett said as he rolled out the red Pokémon sleeping bag on my bedroom floor. I chuckled at the giant picture of Charizard that covered the front.

"Nice sleeping bag," I teased from my bed as I flipped through channels on my TV. I stopped on a boxing match.

"Shut up. It's the only one I could find," he grumbled, "Seriously, though. When was the last time that I spent the night at your house?"

"Mmm… probably before you and Rose started dating." I answered, keeping my eyes on the two men duking out on the screen.

"No way. We're coming up on our one year anniversary," he refused.

"Yeah, I know."

"Huh," Emmett fell silent, lost in the boxing match. He and I had been best friends since my family moved here way back when. He was one year older than me, but that did not make much of a difference. We were practically brothers.

I was so engrossed in the match that I jumped when my door creaked open in my peripheral vision.

"Lights out at midnight, Edward," my mom told me. I looked over at my digital clock: 11:30 pm. Rawr.

"All right, Mrs. Masen." Emmett said, wriggling into his kiddie-sized sleeping bag that was too small for his overly-muscular body. It looked a little uncomfortable, but he did not complain.

"I mean it. You have practice tomorrow morning," she said, staring directly at me. Ugh, track. I loved it and all, but the weekend practices were enough to drive a man insane. I nodded.

"Goodnight, you two," she closed the door, leaving Emmett and I to watch the match. The next time I looked at the clock, it was almost 1:00 in the morning.

"Aww, crap," I yawned, "Time for bed, dude." I leaned over to look at Emmett, waiting for a response. He was face down on his pillow, breathing heavily. I should have known. Emmett had not said a word for the past hour. I turned off the television, chucked the remote onto the floor, and pulled the sheets up over my head.

I awoke to the crashing and clanking of plates and bowls in the kitchen, the smell of bacon leaking into my room. My door was wide open, and the Pokémon sleeping bag was empty. Tiredly, I rolled out of bed and made my way down the hall to the dining room.

"Emmett! Eat your own food!" my sister, Alice, slapped Emmett's shoulder as he reached over and took a strawberry from her plate.

"No!" Emmett chuckled, popping the strawberry into his mouth. Alice slid her plate out of his reach.

"You know, you might want to be careful," I warned, taking a seat at the table, "She puts up with your crap now, but one of these days she's going to snap and bite your head off."

Emmett stuffed a forkful of bacon into his mouth, and then turned to Alice.

"Aww, you know you love me," he spat, putting his arm around her shoulder. Her cheeks flushed. Try as hard as she could, the corners of her mouth still turned up in a smile.

The table shook as a scraggly brown cat leaped not so gracefully up beside her. It meandered over to Emmett's plate and started to sniff at the mound of his eggs and bacon.

"Alice, get your cat off the table," I ordered, standing up to get my own breakfast. It looked like my mom had made a hotel complimentary breakfast and spread it out on the counter, with everything from waffles to eggs to fruit. She always did that when we had friends spend the night.

"Come on, Jackson. You're not wanted here," she said, scooping the cat into her arms and setting him on the ground. Jackson. What a stupid name for a cat. My parents had bought it for her when she joined the family. See, Alice was my adopted sister. She had been taken from her drug-abusive mom when she was nine years old, and has lived with us ever since. Her legal name is Mary Alice Brandon, but she likes to be called Alice. Everyone calls her that. And she keeps her original last name. She said it was her identity, and she did not want to lose it. My parents agreed with her 100%. I thought she was nuts.

I filled a plate with food and sat down to enjoy my breakfast for a while until my mom walked in.

"Oh good, you're up," she said, placing her hand on my hair and pecking my forehead, "Good morning, Emmett."

"Good morning, ." he replied between bites. She sighed.

"How many years have you known me, Emmett? You can call me Elizabeth."

Emmett nodded, but I could tell that he still was not going to call her that. I knew his mind. He did not like calling adults by their first name. It sounded weird.

"Don't eat too much, Edward," my mother warned, "You don't want to run on a full stomach."

"I know, mom. I'm not stupid."

"_I_ beg to differ," Alice commented, grinning. I shot a look at her from across the table. She laughed.

* * *

**(Emmett's POV)**

"See ya," I said, Edward closing the front door behind me. I walked across the street with my sleeping bag in one arm and up my driveway to the front porch. It was cool that Edward and I lived to close.

"I'm home," I called when I stepped inside, setting my sleeping bag on the floor.

"Up here," my mom's voice answered from the upstairs. I jogged up the steps and took a right. The room smelled like fresh paint, and there was soft, classical music playing from and old 80's boom box on the floor. My mom, Esme, was sitting in a wooden rocking chair in the corner of the room, rubbing at her belly. It was not much, but the pregnancy was starting to show a little. She smiled at me as I walked across the empty room to her.

"What are you doing up so early?" I asked her.

"Just some morning sickness. I couldn't fall back to sleep afterward," she explained, then pointed to the paint and rollie-thing that was sitting near the wall, "I got some painting done, though." The whole west wall of the nursery was painted a light green. Both my mom and dad wanted to wait and find out the gender of the baby when it was born. So, instead of just guessing and being wrong, they decided to go for a neutral color like green and make the nursery have a sort of jungle theme (which was totally my idea!) I mean, all kids like animals, right?

"Your father got an emergency call. He's at the hospital," my mom added. Of course. My dad (aka Dr. Carlisle Cullen) was the best doctor around here. It was not unusual to have the hospital call him. Esme pulled herself out of the rocking chair and walked tiredly over to the boom box, pressing the off button.

"I'm going to go eat breakfast. Do you want something?" she asked just as her stomach growled. I shook my head no.

"Nah, I just ate a huge breakfast."

"The Masens always spoil you," she smiled. I shrugged.

"What can I say? They love me."

"Yeah," Mom laughed, then turned to leave the room. She took two steps before stopping and spinning back to face me. "By the way, Rosalie called your cell phone last night. You forgot it on your nightstand. I think she left a message."

I nodded, and she left the room. I followed close behind, walking down the hall to my bedroom. Sure enough, my Blackberry was sitting next to my bed on the nightstand. I picked it up and went to my voice mail. One new message:

_Hey, Babe. I was just thinking about you. Just wanted to wish you a good night. See you tomorrow at the bonfire. Sweet dreams. I love you._

Good 'ol Rosalie. She was so sweet. I would probably call a little closer to noon. I knew how she liked to get her beauty sleep.

I galloped back down the stairs and wandered into the kitchen where my mom sat at the table eating a bowl of Lucky Charms. I took a seat next to her.

"So, did you have fun last night?" Esme asked, putting a spoonful of cereal in her mouth.

I nodded, "Yeah."

"Good. What did you do?"

"Eh, play Xbox, watch TV, eat, sleep. The usual." I purposefully left out the part where we looked through a bunch of choice magazines that I had brought over. I'd have to remember to ask Edward for those; I had forgotten them at his house.

"That's fun," she said, "How are Ed and Elizabeth doing?" Ed was Edward's father. They had the same name, so Edward Sr. just went by Ed because Edward Jr. did not like having nicknames. He always went by Edward.

"They're fine," I answered, grabbing the Lucky Charms box that was sitting on the table. I opened it up and picked through the pieces, searching for marshmallows.

"Don't do that!" my mom scolded, taking the box from me, "Besides, I thought you said you weren't hungry."

"I'm not," I agreed, shrugging. I just liked to eat anyway. She shook her head, smiling.

"Did you have any homework this weekend?" she asked. I thought back over all of my classes on Friday.

"I have some Spanish," I answered, knowing where this was going. She sighed.

"I don't understand why you don't finish it all Friday night so you don't have to worry about it over the weekend. Now, instead of having the whole day to yourself, you've got to do that Spanish," she told me. I could have recited that speech with her. All I had to do was fill in the blank at the end with the subject we happened to be talking about.

"I want you to have that done before you do anything with your friends today," she added, taking a bite of cereal.

I nodded. "Fine."

But first, I was going to see what was on ESPN. I got up from the table and meandered over to the living room, picking up the remote from the coffee table and sprawling myself across the couch. The TV made that weird static-y _bong_ sound when I pressed the ON button, and I punched in the numbers to my favorite channel. Oh, good. The Gators were playing. I put a pillow behind my back, kicked my feet up, and did not move from that spot for a whole 2 hours.

* * *

**(Jasper's POV)**

The flames flickered violently as the wind picked up, and I took a few steps back from the fire pit to not get burned. The night sky was perfectly clear, and the stars seemed to be shining particularly bright above me. Emmett was sitting in a fold-out chair across the fire with Rosalie on his lap (how that was comfortable, I have no idea). They were talking and giggling quietly to each other, exchanging kisses every now and then. Edward and Alice needed to get here fast. I did not know how much more of their lovey-doveyness I could handle. I plopped myself back down in my own hair, growing impatient.

Then, finally, I could hear the sound of two people stepping on twigs and such, wandering through the woods behind my house to our bonfire.

"Hey, guys," Edward called, emerging from the darkness. He unfolded the chair he was carrying and sat down. Alice was following behind, "oof"ing and "ugh"ing as she stepped over stuff. My heart fluttered when I saw her.

"Can somebody help me, please?" she asked, struggling with the chair she was carrying. It was obviously too big and heavy for her tiny self. I rushed over to her, taking the chair.

"Thanks, Jasper," she looked up at me and smiled the most gorgeous smile. My heart flipped, and all I could do was smile back. We walked back to the bonfire, and I was careful to set her chair up next to mine.

"So, who brought the marshmallows?" Emmett asked, finally bringing his attention to the group. I swear, the only two things Emmett thought about were my sister and food. That is it. Everyone looked around at each other, searching for the bag of white, poofy deliciousness. Then Alice smacked her forehead next to me.

"Crap. It was my turn, wasn't it?" she realized, "I'm such an idiot."

"Hey, Jazz," Rosalie said, "Why don't you go get some from the pantry back at the house? I know we have some."

Jeez, thanks Rose. I sighed, getting up from my chair.

"No, I'll go. I'm the one that was supposed to bring them, anyway." Alice stopped me, getting up.

"If you both go, then you'll have enough arms to bring us some pop, too." Emmett suggested. I could have kissed him for saying that, but it looked like Rosalie was already doing that for me. Ugh.

"Okay," Alice agreed, prancing out of the circle, "Come on, Jasper."

I hurried along after her, and pretty soon we were at the house.

"Wow, it's so much warmer in here. It's pretty chilly outside," Alice commented, rubbing her arms. They were covered in goose bumps.

"Do you want to borrow one of my hoodies?" I asked. She nodded.

"That would be lovely."

I raced up to my room and grabbed my favorite Pac Sun hoodie from my closet. When I came back, Alice was in the kitchen with the marshmallows in one hand and a 24-pack of Coke in the other. I took the food from her and gave her the hoodie, which she pulled on over her head. She was practically swimming in the thing.

"Mmm…" she sighed, inhaling deeply, "It smells like you."

I did not know if that was a good thing or a bad thing, but Alice did not seem grossed out, so I figured it was fine. She smiled up at me, her cheeks and nose still red from the cold.

"Thanks."

I felt like melting into a puddle at her feet. Her big, brown eyes sparkled, beautifully framed in a row of thick eyelashes. Her short, spiky hair was the blackest of blacks, and was very cute. I wanted to run my fingers through it. And her smile was so perfect, I was a little jealous.

"I like your teeth," I blurted out before I knew what I was saying. "They're very straight… and white."

Her smile grew bigger, her nose crinkling. "Aww, thanks! I guess those 4 years of braces paid off, huh?"

She was just a little package of magnificence standing in front of me. I just nodded in response, smiling back. I liked the way my sweatshirt looked on her. It was practically a dress, making her look smaller than normal. She was like a delicate little china doll.

We headed back to the fire, trudging through the thick foliage. That is when Alice grabbed my hand. She slipped her thin little fingers in mine, not saying a word. I had to work hard to keep my attention on where I was going.

"'Bout time, guys. Jeez!" Emmett called as we approached the circle. Alice let go of my hand and pranced over to him with the marshmallows. Rosalie had finally moved into her own chair.

"God forbid you starve!" Alice declared sarcastically. He held out his hands of the marshmallows, and with one quick thrust, she slammed the bag right into his crotch.

"Ahhhh!" Emmett groaned, followed by a few choice words that I will not repeat. Edward cringed in sympathy. I could not help but chuckle as I sat back down in my own chair.

"I told you she's dangerous!" Edward told him, bursting into a hysterical fit of laughter. Emmett could not help but laugh, too, and pretty soon everyone else joined in. Gosh, I loved my friends.

* * *

**So, what do you think of the story? I've got some big plans for everyone, let me tell ya. It's going to be intense!!**

**Oh, and just so that there isn't any confusion, I'd like to make it clear that everyone in the story is human. You might have noticed that already, though, what with the sleeping and the eating... or maybe you didn't. Whatev**


	2. Chapter 2

**(Edward's POV)**

"Then, after I defeated th evil wizard, the princess wanted to sex me. But I was like, 'Hellz no!' because I knew that Rosalie wouldn't have liked it," Emmett finished off telling us about his crazy dream, then stuffed a spoon of mashed potatoes into his mouth.

"Aww!!" Rosalie crooned, hugging him. He swallowed his food then turned to her, smiling.

"You're the only one for me, babe." Emmett kissed her with everyone at the table watching. Please, that was enough of the lovefest. I was about to lose myself in my turkey sandwaich, until Alice piped in with her little bird voice.

"That's Isabella Swan, the new girl." She reported, signaling for me to look over my shoulder. I turned my head and scanned the cafeteria for the girl. She had just sat down at a table with Mike Newton, the typical highschool jock, and Jessica Stanley, the gossip-girl chatterbox. Great, so she was with that crowd. What a shame.

"You mean Chief Swan's daughter?" Jasper asked, his question bringing me back to the table.

"Yup," Alice chirped, grinning at him. He smiled back. God, it was so obvious that they were into eachother, it was almost sickening. Just ask her out, Jazz! Come on!

I decided to avert my attention, glancing back at the new girl, Isabella. Her dad lived in the neighborhood next to ours. He was head of police. I believe his name was Charlie. Nice guy, but kind of quiet.

Jessica Stanley must have noticed my staring because she said something to Isabella, who turned to look at me. Ahh, I could see the resemblance now. She definitely got her forehead and cheekbones from her father, and her eyebrows curved the same way as his. She also had his dark hair, and it fell in loose waves to the middle of her back. Her nose was straight, and her lips looked a little disproportional, like the top one was too big for the bottom. And she had the biggest, most beautiful eyes I had ever seen. They were a dark chocolate brown and were absolutely gorgeous.

We made eyec ontact, and her face flushed a bright scarlet before turning back to her friends. I smiled, then turned back to mine as well. The rest of lunch seemed to fly by as always, and I was in my Biology 2 classroom. I had gotten there a little early, so I set myself down and prepared my book and pencil on my desk.

The room gradually filled, loud from post-lunch energy. The bell was just about to ring when in walked the new girl. She wandered to 's desk, and he pointed her to the only empty seat available; the one new to me. The previous student who sat there had been expelled, and I have had the table to myself ever since.

She gave me a timid smile as she sat down, then let her hair fall down to hide her face. She smelled good; subtle, like her shampoo or something. Kind of floral. I inhaled, taking it in.

"Hi, I'm Edward. Edward Masen," I introduced myself, breaking the ice. She looked over at me shyly.

"I'm Bella," she replied, her voice soft. I smiled. Then the teacher spoke up, interuppting my thoughts.

"Alright, class. Today we have a projct for you to do." He announced, beginning to pass out equipment. Oh, joy. It took the guy like fifteen minutes just to explain to us that we were identifying organisms with a microscope. He seriously needed to cut back on the jabbering.

"Ladies first, partner?" I asked Bella once everything was ready. I grinned, being friendly. She just stared. "Or I could start, if you wish."

"No, I'll go ahead," she suddenly snapped out of her trance, blushing. We zipped through the activity quickly, I being a biology whiz (not to brag) and bella having already done the assignment back at her old school. So we were left with plenty of time to talk. I could tell Bella was avoiding eye contact as she nervously busied herself with her fingernails and glancing around the room. I watched as her eyes caught the window, and she groaned.

"Ugh, rain." She complained to herself, sighing. I took the opportunity to start conversation.

"You don't like the rain?" I wondered. She grimaced up at me.

"Or the cold."

"Why did you come here, then?" I asked, truly curious. She shrugged.

"My mom got remarried. Her husband plays minor league baseball, so he moves around a lot. I knew I was just dragging them down." She finished, looking kind of glum.

"But no you're unhappy," I observed, "That hardly seems fair."

"Yeah, well life isn't fair," she concluded. I shut up then, feeling like I was getting on her nerves. I noticed Mike Newton in the back of the room, staring us down.

The silence was awkward. I ook a deep breath, taking in Bella's scent again. I could almost make out what it was.. . like lavendar, or freesia. I had a hard time not just sticking my nose in her long, wavy hair. The teacher called our attention to the board, showing us transparencies of what we had just identified with the microscope. I was a little disappointed that I could not talk to Bella more. She seemed very shy, and I had the urge to get inside her mind. I wanted her to open up to me.

The bell rang, and Mike appeared at Bella's side.

"Ready for gym?" he asked her, a little too enthusiastically. She grunted, obviously not looking forward to it. She gathered her things quickly, standing up.

"See you tomorrow, Bella." I called. She turned and smiled. Mike looked irritated. They left the room. I smiled to myself as I walked down the hallway. I would definitely have to get to know this one more.

* * *

**(Emmett's POV)**

I was lying on my back, my head pressed against the arm of the couch. Rosalie was sitting on top of me, strattling my waist. Her smooth hands explored the planes of my chest as I ran my mouth up and down her neck. Her long, blonde hair was everywhere; I tucked it back as I kissed the hollow beneath her ear. She quivered when I grabbed her shoulders, pulling her closer. I smiled in satisfaction, pressing me lips her hers forcefully. I felt Rose move her hips, trying to get comfortable.

"Woah!" she gasped, slipping off the sofa and falling to the floor. She pulled me down with her, and I tried to be careful as I landed. Rosalie's face grew red as I stared at her, and all of a sudden, she erupted into a fit of laughter. Her body shook beneath mine, and I could not help but join in. Her laughter was holding my splitting sides. We were actually ROTFLOL-ing. It took a while, but I finally picked myself up off the floor after cooling down and checked the clock.

"I'd better go, Rose. Your dad is going to be here any second," I said, grabbgin Rosalie's hand and pulling her to her feet.

"Aww," she whined, taking a fistful of my shirt and yanking my face down to kiss me. Her sweet lips lingered, almost making me lose my train of thought. Almost.

"I don't want to be caught. Your dad alrady doesn't like me, no need to make it worse."

"Alright," she agreed, knowing I was right. Her dad really wanted her to be with Royce King, the son of some family friends. He was handsom, rish, smart; everything a girl wants. But Mr. Hale did not know that Royce was also the biggest jerk at school, and was kind of a player. Plus, I was pretty sure that he was a pothead. Not that I haven't tried a few hits at parties myself, but Royce was a true-blue druggie.

Rosalie walked me out to my Jeep in the driveway. I scooped her into a tight embrace.

"Love you," I breathed into her ear. She shuddered at the tickly feeling.

"I love you more," she replied, pecking my lips. I got into the car, waving goodbye as I drove away. It was only like a 2-second ride to my house; seriously, she lived just down the street. I grabbed my bookbag and walked in the house, closing the door behind me.

"Mom, I'm home!" I called as I marched up the stairs. I dropped my bag by the banister at the top of the steps as I took a left, heading toward my bedroom.

"Oh, hey Emm." My mom greeted me from the closet as she hung one of my freshly cleaned shirts. "How was school?"

"Fine. I got a B+ on that math assignment," I reported, taking a seat on my bed. She turned to me and smiled.

"That's great! I'm proud of you, Emmett."

"Thanks," I said, "So what have you been up to?"

"This," she motioned toward the laundry basket sitting on my floor. It was filled to the brim with folded clothing. "Laundry, laundry, laundry. It never ends."

I chuckled; it was true. Esme picked up the basket and walked to the door. She could not even see over the massive mound of laundry.

"Don't forget to do your homwork, dear."

"Alright."

She left the room, closing the door with her foot. I sprawled myself out on the bed; I loved to take naps after school. The gentle breeze of the ceiling fan got me drowzy. I was just about asleep when I head a very loud, very startling crash. I jerked awake.

"Mom?"

No answer.

_"Mom?!" _I got up and wandered out of my room, a little freaked out. The faint sound of crying caught my attention, and I peered over the railing to the first floor. My mom was balled up at the foor of the staircase. Laundry was scattered everywhere, and my bookbag was laying on the floor. Weird, I thought I left it at the top… oh God. She must have tripped over it.

"Mom, are you alright?" I panicked as I raced down the stairs to her. There was blood. She looked up at me with tears in her eyes.

"Emmett, call 911. Now."

It did not take long for my to call up an ambulance, so after I hung up I dialed my dad's cellphone number.

"This is Doctor Carlisle Cullen," my dad's calm voice answered.

"Dad! We have an emergency. Mom's hurt. I just called 911, and an ambulance is on its way," I spoke quickly. The hand holding the phone was shaking.

"Is she concious?" I could hear the worry in his words.

"Yeah, but there's blood."

"Just do your best to take care of Esme right now," he ordered, going into doctor mode.

"Alright. See you at the hospital," I said, about to hang up.

"Emmett?" Carlisle was quiet, and I could tell he was trying to keep it together.

"Yes, Dad?"

"I love you," his voice cracked, and so did my heart.

" I love you too, Dad." I managed, and hung up.

Riding in an ambulance was pretty scary. I'm sure on a normal, happy day it tould be kind of fun, but when someone you love is being rushed to the hospital, not so much. The blaring siren started to give me a headache as we raced around hordes of traffic, and I began to grow impatient. Couldn't this guy drive any faster??

Carlisle was waiting when we arrived, and I went straight over and hugged him. I felt sort of like a child, being held in my father's arms, even if I was bigger than him. I had not even noticed I was crying until he offered me a tissue.

"Come on," he said, and he lead me to the waiting room.

* * *

**(Jasper's POV)**

pixiestick: hey, jazz! wazzup?

A smile grew on my face when Alice's IM popped onto my computer screen, and I could feel my heart pounding in my chest.

: nothing, really. Hbu?

pixiestick: just watching the boob-tube

: o yeah? Wat show?

pixiestick: ANTM

Okay, I had no idea what that stood for. I did not want to ask, either, and make myself look like an idiot.

pixiestick: ooh! they just showed a preview for the new harry potter. it looks sooo good!!

: that comes out this friday, doesn't it?

pixiestick: yup! you wanna go c it w/ me?

Of course I did! What kind of a question is that? My fingers could not move fast enough at I typed my response.

: sure! im paying, tho.

pixiestick: fine w/ me! im kind of broke rite now, ne ways

I laughed to myself. I knew Alice all-too well. She probably spent it all on clothes.

: ok, ill pick you up 7

pixiestick: cool :)

Just then Rosalie burst through my bedroom door, a look of panic on her face.

"Jazz, Emmett just called. Esme's in the hospital." Her voice sounded like she was on the brink of tears. "I need you to drive me there."

"Why can't you drive yourself?" I asked. She squirmed impatiently.

"Cause Mom took my license, okay?" Of course she would get herself grounded at a time like this. I sighed.

"Fine, I'll be there in a sec."

She nodded and rushed back out the door.

pixiestick: you still there, Jazz?

: yeah, sorry. Ive g2g. Emmett's mom is in the hospital and ive gotta drive Rose there.

pixiestick: omg! could you pick up Ed and me on the way?

: sure. we'll be there in a sec. bye.

pixiestick: bye

I shut the laptop, slipped on some shoes and ran out the door. It is a very rare thing to get to drive Rosalie's red convertible. It was not very enjoyable, though, considering the fact that is was raining, so we had the top up. So now I just felt like an idiot driving a girly car. Man, I really needed to get my own ride.

I whipped into the Masen's driveay, and Alice and Edward bolted out of the house and into the car. No one said a word the whole way there.

"Oh, Emm!" Rosalie made a beeline to Emmett as soom as he was in sight. She threw her arms around him, and they both started to cry. I watched as Alice passed them, going straight to and giving him a hug. I walked over to them.

"How is she?" Alice worried. Carlisle nodded.

"Esme should be fine," he reassured her. Alice loosened up a bit.

"What about the baby?" I wondered, joinging the conversation. His expression turned grim, and I immediately regretted speaking up. Without a word, Carlisle slowly shook his head no. My heart stopped. Alice gasped beside me.

"I'm so sorry," her eyes welled up with tears, and pulled her into a hug. When her released her, I grabbed her hand. Alice looked up at me, face red and eyes puffy. I wiped a tear from her cheek, then pulled her against me. I hated seeing her like this, and I was going to so my best to comfort her.

We sat down in some chairs by Edward, where he was reading an old People magazine. Alice intwined our fingers, not saying a word. She rested her head on my shoulder, and I put my arm around her. Any other time I would have been freaking out, but there is nothing intimate about being in a hospital. Not when everyone was so full of worry and grief. I felt like I was carrying borh mine and Alice's heavy hearts, and it hurt.

The overload of emotional pain wore me out, and I started to feel tired. My shoulders slumped, and I tilter my neck to use Alice's head as a pillow. I was out like a light.


	3. Chapter 3

**(Edward's POV)**

I was sitting at my Biology table after lunch on Friday, waiting for Bella to arrive. We had become pretty well acquainted over the week, and I was looking forward to her presence. I smiled when she walked through the door, but Mike Newton was close behind. He caught her by the shoulder, and she turned round.

"Hey, Bells. I was wondering what you were up to next weekend," he smiled, and I knew exactly where this was going.

"Why?" she asked, clueless.

"Cause, I don't know, maybe you'd want to go to spring formal with me?" he seemed nervous enough. Bella glanced quickly to me then, and I suddenly froze. Had she realized that I was eavesdropping?

"Umm… me and dancing don't really go together," she explained, "Plus, I've got stuff going on. I'm flying to Jacksonville that weekend."

Mike frowned, rejected.

"But you should totally ask Jessica. I know she wants to go with you," she added. He grinned.

"Really?"

"Totally."

I tried to look innocent as she made her way over to our table.

"Hey Edward."

"Hey! TGIF," I said, smiling. She stared at me for a second, and then returned the smile. Her familiar scent filled the air, and I breathed it in.

"So, what are your plans for Saturday?" I tried to sound nonchalant. She shrugged.

"Nothing, really."

"Do you want to hang out? I mean, you do live just a neighborhood away." I asked, suddenly very scared of the answer.

"Sure," she grinned, staring into my eyes. The teacher started class then, so the conversation ended.

"Alright, class. Today, in honor of the Blood Drive that's been going on, we are going to figure out our blood types." He started, and then went on about pricking our fingers and dropping blood on some piece of paper.

"Oh, God." I heard Bella murmur, and I looked at her. She had probably dropped about 50 shades of color, and was now white as a ghost. She put her head in her hands, and her body was shaking.

"Bella, are you okay?" I worried. She turned to me, suddenly seeming very frail.

"I'm not good with blood and needles is all," she tried to blow it off. I raised my hand.

"Mr. Banner, Bella's not feeling too hot."

The teacher walked over to our table, placing a hand on Bella's back.

"Is that true, Ms. Swan?" he asked. She peered up at him, and with that he was convinced.

"Edward, would you be so kind as to escort Ms. Swan to the nurse's office?" he looked over at me. I nodded.

"Of course," I put my arm around Bella, helping her stand up. She wobbled out of the room with me, and then all of a sudden her knees gave. Catching her before she hit the floor, I scooped Bella into my arms, cradling her like a baby. It was easy enough; she was very lightweight.

"I feel like such a doof," she mumbled. I chuckled.

"You're not a doof, Bella."

She grunted, obviously not agreeing with me. I carried her into the nurse's office, where they had me aly her down on one of those uncomfortable bed things.

"You can go back to class now, Mr. Masen." The lady dismissed me. I stopped.

"Actually, I wanted to drive Bella home. She can't exactly go back to class after fainting in the hall, and all I have last hour is study hall." I tried. By the grace of God, and my awesome persuasion skills, they let me take her home. We were both excused from class.

"You just wanted to skip out of the rest of school," Bella teased, becoming herself again as we cruised down the road in my Volvo.

"That, or I just wanted to spend more time with you," I replied, surprised that I had actually said that out loud. She blushed.

"Well, either way, I'm glad." She told me. We got inside the house, and she went straight to the kitchen.

"I'm so hungry!" Bella said, opening the fridge. I rushed over to her, pulling her away from the refrigerator and closing the door. I lead her to the couch and made her sit down.

"Bells, you just passed out. Take it easy. I'll make you a sandwich."

"Peanut butter and jelly?" she requested. I nodded, disappearing to the kitchen. When I came back out, she had a movie going.

"Are you seriously watching Romeo and Juliet?" I teased, handing her the plate. I took a seat on the sofa beside her.

"It's a classic!" she defended, "Plus, I thought it would make sense, since we're watching it in English."

"Fine," I gave up, making myself comfortable. We watched in silence. Well, Bella watched. I was a little distracted by her presence.

"Oh, how romantic. I want a soul mate like that, where we'll see each other and bam! Everything will just click." She fantasized, sighing. I sat up.

"Do you believe in love at first sight?" I asked. She looked into my eyes, that deliciously seductive chocolate brown. Her lips parted slightly, and I could not help but stare. When I looked back into her eyes, she blushed, smiling shyly.

"Yes, I do."

Woah, had we just had a moment? Because I am pretty sure Bella and I just had a moment!!

"Umm, you've got some jelly…" I noticed some traces of her sandwich at the corner of her mouth.

"Is it gone?"she asked after wiping the back of her hand across her mouth. I shook my head.

"Nope."

"Now?" she did it again.

"Almost," I encouraged her to keep trying.

"Did I get it?" she asked, but alas, the jelly remained.

"Here, let me…" I took my thumb and wiped the jelly from her face. Her bottom lip quivered at my touch, and I felt her breathing quicken. Not knowing what to do with the jelly on my thumb, I did the first thing that came to mind and stuck it in my mouth. Bella watched in disbelief, and before either of us had time to say anything, the front door opened.

"Hey, Bells. I'm home," Chief Swan walked into the living room, stopping with he saw me. "Who are you?"

"I'm Edward Masen, sir." I replied, standing up.

"Ahh, yes. Ed and Elizabeth's boy." He remembered, "What are you doing in my house with my daughter?"

"Dad," Bella started, but I cut her off.

"Well, I drove Bella home today after she passed out in Biology."

"She what?" Charlie panicked. I continued talking before he had any time to freak out.

"I stayed to take care of her. I didn't think it safe to leave her alone, sir." I explained. He nodded.

"Well I appreciate your kindness, Edward, but I think it's time for you to go home," Chief Swan excused me. I walked around to the door.

"Yes sir," I said, "See you tomorrow, Bella."

And I exited the house before I had the chance to get in trouble.

* * *

**(Emmett's POV)**

"I'm making Ramen noodles, Emm. You want some?" my dad asked, peeking out of the kitchen at me. I shook my head.

"Nah, not hungry."

"Well, that's a first. Are you okay?" he wondered, unsure. Was I okay? Of course I was not okay. It had been my book bag Mom had tripped over. It was my fault that she fell down the stairs, my fault that she lost the baby. I killed my unborn sibling.

"Yeah, just tired." I lied, shrugging. Carlisle went back to his business, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I grabbed a pillow, stuffing my face into it and breathing deeply. I wished I could go curl up in a corner and die. I lost myself in a dark spiral of self-pity when my cell phone vibrated in my back pocket, making me jump.

_hey, man. wat u up 2?_ Edward's text put me back into reality.

_dyin slowly like i deserve _I typed back

_u gotta stop blamin urself dude_ He responded. I did not answer.

_theres a party peters 2nite. lets go_

_well 2 bad. i'm pickin u up 7, so b ready_

I sighed, looking at the clock. It was 5:30. Man, sometimes Edward was so… ugh. I knew there was no moving him, he was too damn stubborn. I got up off the couch and went into the kitchen.

"Is it cool it I go to a party at Peter's tonight with Edward?" I asked my father, who smirked.

"It's fine with me," he nodded, probably happy I was seeming normal. Edward's Volvo was in my driveway right on time. He gave two little honks, and I drug myself out the door.

"Are you ready for some late-night fun?" he beamed. Jeez, a little to peppy, aren't we?

"Hey, where's Allie?" I remembered the spaz, looking to find an empty back seat.

"She's on a date. With Hale," he informed, wiggling his eyebrows. I could not help but crack a smile.

"About time."

"My little Alice is all grown up," Edward fake sniffled, chuckling. We made it to Peter's house in about 10 minutes, and the place was already buzzing with life. I went into his backyard, where there were a handful of people in his underground pool. About five others were occupying the hot tub, including Peter and his girlfriend Charlotte. I walked up to them, trying to be friendly.

"Hey, Emmett! Didn't know you were coming," Peter greeted me, reaching out and patting my arm. I forced a grin.

"Yup. Edward invited me."

"Ahh, Masen." Peter called Edward by his last name, "Where is he?"

"Inside," I pointed to the door.

"Hey, I heard about what happened to your mom," Charlotte spoke up, "I'm sorry."

"Thanks," I said, turning sour at the subject. I stepped back. "Well, I'm gonna go see what's happening inside. See you guys later."

I escaped through the sliding glass door into a whole different atmosphere of booming music and low lights. There was a couple making out on the couch, so sitting down was not an option. Instead, I stood against the wall, watching people talk and dance.

"Hey, Cullen." I heard my name called, turning my head to see the one and only Royce King coming my way. Oh, great. Just the man I wanted to see.

"Hi, Royce."

"Where's Rosalie on this fine evening?" he slurred, flipping his shaggy blonde hair out of his eyes. I shrugged.

"I just came with Edward."

"That's… cool," he said, "Hey, I heard about your mom. That sucks, man. How you holding up?"

"I killed the baby, Royce. How the hell do you think I'm holding up?" I growled, letting myself boil over. "I feel like shit 24/7, and I sometimes think of killing myself."

"Hey, I know what you mean," he tried to sympathize.

"No, you don't know!" I yelled, "It fucking sucks!"

"Have some of this," he said, changing the subject and offering the plastic sup in this hand. "You seem like you need it."

Without looking to see what it was, I snatched the glass from Royce and guzzled it down. Ugh, beer. The taste lingered in my mouth. I handed him the cup back.

"Time for a refill. Come with. You can get your own." He said, leading me to the kitchen. Why was this kid being so nice to me? Didn't we hate each other? I pushed all thoughts aside, eager to get some alcohol into my system. I really needed to loosen up a little. Royce poured something from a big, fancy bottle into a glass, handing it to me.

"Thanks," I murmured, lifting the cup to my mouth. He nodded, pouring some for himself. We stayed in there for a while, just talking and drinking, getting to know each other. Maybe this Royce kid was not as bad as I once though. He seemed like a pretty cool dude.

"I'm gonna go out for a smoke," he mentioned, setting down his drink, "Do you want to join?"

"Uh, yeah," I slurred, feeling pretty drunk by now. The rhythm of the music pounded in my head as we walked past the speakers. It was dark now outside, and a little chilly, explaining why almost no one was out there except the hot tub occupants. I moved in a daze, the things around my blurred. Royce led me behind Peter's shed, where two other people were sitting in the grass smoking a bong.

"Hey, King." One of them greeted, a short blonde chick with blood-shot eyes. She handed him the bong, which he then took a huge drag of, blowing the smoke in billows above his head. Then he handed it to me, and I did the same. Ah, the things pot can do to you. I sighed. I had found my escape.

* * *

**(Jasper's POV)**

"Two for Harry Potter," I told the ticket lady. I looked down at Alice, who smiled back up at me. Jeez, she was to gorgeous. Her hair was not spiked as usual, rather it was curled. And the sweater/skirt combo looked great on her, as did everything she wore.

Alice intertwined our fingers as we wandered down the aisle to our seats. She did not let go of my hand as we sat down, and I worried that my palm was sweaty. Was this actually happening? Was I really on a date with Alice Brandon? THE Alice Brandon?? I looked around in a daze, yet was terrifyingly aware of Alice's presence.

"I'm so excited," she grinned, squeezing my hand gently. My heart pounded.

"Me too." I answered, whispering because the movie was close to starting. About ten minutes into it, Alice let go of my hand to rummage through her purse.

"You want a piece?" she asked, holding out a piece of gum. I accepted, then took the chance to put my arm around her. To my delight, she scooted closer, leaning into me. I felt her sigh against me, and could not help but smile widely. I was thankful that the theatre was dark so nobody could see me beaming like an idiot. It was hard to concentrate on the movie with Alice's extreme closeness. The soothing up-and-down of her soft breathing was never far from my mind. I did not even know what was going on in the movie half the time.

"Holy crap, that was so good!" Alice enthused on the car ride home. "Didn't you think so, Jazz?"

"It was quite… amazing." I agreed. She chattered all the way back home. I pulled into her driveway, parking the car. We both got out, and I had to monitor my breathing as I walked her to the door.

"I had a really fun time, Jasper." Alice told me, standing on the front porch.

"Yeah, me too." I said, trying not to be too obvious that I was staring at her lips. My heart was about ready to leap out of my chest.

"We should definitely do it again sometime," she said. I nodded, completely frozen.

"Well, goodnight." She sounded a little disappointed, and right then I knew what I had to do. I broke from my trance, grabbing her thin wrist as she turned to the door. I spun her little body around, and grabbing her chin, our lips met. My stomach flipped, and I grinned under the kiss as her hands found my back. I pulled away.

"Goodnight," I said, almost forgetting to take a breath. Alice's eyes were wide with shock, and her face was flushed a pretty pink.

"Goodnight," she repeated. Before going into the house, she surprised me with a peck on the lips, I stood there, hands shaking with nerves as I watched the door close and latch behind her. I could barely contain myself as I walked back to the car.

* * *

**Sorry that Jasper's part is so sort this time. My bad! If things go the way I plan, this is going to start getting intense!**


End file.
